


Some might assume

by LeMera (Agha)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Confusion, Explicit Sex, M/M, Misunderstandings, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 04:27:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10983381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agha/pseuds/LeMera
Summary: Sam tried to hide his words, because every time he showed them someone couldn't help but make a comment about it. Including that hot jogger who runs past him every morning. He ignored it like every other time, resigning himself to the fact that he might never meet his real soulmate.Steve waited for decades for his soulmate, and couldn't believe it when he found him on a jog of all things. But Sam doesn't seem to share his enthusiasm at the discovery. It was almost as if he didn't realise that they were meant for each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is it, an actual Steve/Sam story. I tried it in the past, but got derailed with Sam/Bucky. But it's happening now! Yay!
> 
> Soulmate AU where the first words your soulmate says to you is tattooed on your body. Different people have the tattoo on different parts.

_Sam_

Sam avoids wearing anything that will show off his shoulders. Especially at times when he knows people might be coming up from behind him. That meant very little time spent on the beach in swimming trunks, and absolutely no tank tops when was going running. But it was so fucking hot outside, Sam thought he was going to burst out of his skin. He'd mostly gotten used to running in thick sweaters, but he couldn't do it today. It'd be fine, he tried to convince himself. No one was going to care.

He threw on the tank top, pushed his feet into his running shoes, and went of to the park where he usually went for his morning jog. The sun was just about to go up, but it was already burning hot outside. He began with an even pace, just to get his heart rate up, and relished of the feeling of the wind hitting his free skin. He should expose his skin more often.

That was, of course, the moment he was reminded why he didn't do it more often.

"On your left!" some random jogger called from behind him

"Yeah, yeah, real funny, I get it," Sam shouted back when the jogger caught up with him. The jogger's steps faltered slightly, but he kept going, running up ahead of Sam. Sam got a good look at the jogger's ass, and he realised that he recognised that ass. It was that blond jogger he saw almost every day, who'd run past him over and over like it was some sort of game. They never really spoke, but Sam wasn't above checking him out every time he passed. Really, it wouldn't hurt if this guy was actually his soulmate. That was some ass.

He shook off the thought, and picked up the pace. This had happened to him a million times before. Someone would see the words on his shoulder blade and think it was funny to shout it out. It used to make his heart take an extra beat, as his stomach was filled with warm hope. He'd think 'this is it, this is my soulmate', try to say something witty, and then find out that the words didn't match. The person would always have something else, someone else, and he'd be stuck will soul-crushing disappointment. He no longer felt hope when someone said it, knowing it was just a joke.

Most people he knew had their tattoos on their wrists, and it was rather fashionable to wear a bracelet to cover it up. That made it rare to see one out in the open, and people always got curious when they did. People didn't get how much it hurt him every time he realised it wasn't real. Still, he knew he was pretty lucky. All he had to do was put on a shirt and it'd be hidden; there were people out there, albeit rare, who had their tattoos on their faces or necks and they had a much harder time.

He heard the telltale steps of the jogger again. They'd run past each other so many times by now Sam could ever recognise the sound of his trainers against the pavement. It was kind of pathetic, really.

"On your..." The man trailed off, and his footsteps disappeared. Sam slowed down and looked over his shoulder. The man had stopped in his tracks, and stared at Sam, wide-eyed. Sam was ashamed to admit that this was the first time Sam got a proper look at his face, and he realised with a shocked start that it was Steve  _fucking_ Rogers. He'd seen his face all over the place ever since the aliens fell through the sky, there was no escaping.

He'd been running past Captain America every morning for weeks without realising it. He'd been checking out Captain America's ass for weeks. Holy shit. "Are you okay?" Sam called at him.

Steve nodded and smiled weakly, but didn't say anything. He didn't look injured or anything, and Sam really had no reason to stay staring at the guy. He probably wouldn't appreciate being needled by a star-struck fan. Sam gave him a short wave, and then turned around again and kept running. He couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, despite promising himself that he would never get his hopes up again. Everyone knew Captain America had already found his soulmate, Bucky Barnes. He might be dead now now, but they'd been happy together in their youth, if what Sam had read was right. That meant it was just another false alarm.

Still, hearing Captain America say your soulmate's words wasn't exactly an experience just about anyone could claim to have had. He imagined telling his real soulmate about it at some point in the, thought about how they'd laugh, and how he'd tell their children that their other father was almost Captain America. The fun of it all took off the edge of the disappointment slightly.

The next day, he went back to wearing thick sweaters for his runs. No need to subject himself to more pain, despite the heat.

*

_Steve_

It took Steve a long time to figure out if he was being checked out. Seriously, it took him getting a whole new body, going on several tours with pretty women, Peggy Carter, decades in the ice, and a lot of help from Natasha, to finally figure out when people were giving him appreciative glances. The guy who he always ran past on his morning jogs? Totally checking him out.

Steve was flattered. The man was rather handsome, and fit. But he never said anything to Steve. Just glanced at him, and then moved on, and Steve sometimes worried he was imagining it. Or maybe the guy just thought he was attractive, but didn't care to actually try to get to know him or anything.

Natasha, of course, thought he should make the first move. Not that she knew about the jogger-guy. She just liked to give him dating advice in general, and try to set him up. Over and over again, despite his protests. She also kept wheedling him about his soul mark, suggesting she could find them for him, but he was not going to give her that information. His soulmate was probably dead at this point anyway, no need to go out looking for heartache. It was bad enough having to see Peggy at death's door, his mind full of  _what ifs._ He couldn't imagine anything crueler than letting Natasha find his soulmate for him, only for them to be dead or dying, and having to spend the rest of his life wondering what life they could've built together if he hadn't crashed in the ice.

The guy was out jogging, again. He was usually wearing long-sleeves, despite the weather becoming continuously hotter these past few weeks. But not today. Today he was in a soft, white tank top that sat tightly to his body and left very little to the imagination. His body was toned, and the muscles on his exposed arms bugled as he ran. Steve swallowed, his throat dry even though he'd barely started on his run.

Maybe Natasha was right. Maybe he did need to try and get out there, and make the first move. It couldn't hurt to just poke at the guy, see how he reacted. If he was lucky, he might even get to feel those arm directly.

As he caught up with the man, Steve tried to figure out what to say. _Hi_ was a pretty solid first move, but also boring. _How are you?_ maybe. _You've got nice arms_. Nope, that was taking it too far. The man was running to the right of the track, which left Steve space to run up on his left. Which was probably why he blurted out "On your left." As far as pick up lines go, it was probably pretty bad. Natasha would be disappointed in him.

"Yeah, yeah, real funny, I get it," the man shot back.

Steve almost tripped over his own legs when he heard his words voiced by the man. He quickly regained his footing, and kept running, his head spinning out of control. Had he just...? Was that man...?

He'd heard a million different versions of his words over the years.

_Real funny joke._

_I get your point._

_Yeah, that's what I thought._

Always similar, but never exactly the same. But this time...

Maybe he'd heard wrong. What were the odds that his soulmate was not only alive so many years after Steve's life was supposed to have ended already, but he was the perfect age for Steve to start a relationship and have a long future with.

He ran a lap, and came up behind the man again. He needed to be sure. He wanted him to say it again.

"On your..." That's when he saw it. His entire body froze.

While Steve had been taking his lap, the man had been sweating through his tank top, making the white fabric almost translucent. Steve had been able to see the first and last part of his soul mark - _On...ft -_ but now he could see the whole thing.

_On your left._

Those were the exact words Steve had just uttered. His very first words to this man. And he'd responded with Steve's soulmate's words.

The man seemed to have realised it too, because he stopped and looked over at Steve. His eyes went wide when their eyes met, and he had to  _know_. He had to feel what Steve was feeling.

"Are you okay?"

 _Okay?_ Steve was about to lift off the ground. He'd found his soulmate. It was so unexpected that he felt too shocked to even speak. He barely managed a nod and a weak smile. He waited for this man, his soulmate, to go walk up to Steve and... He didn't know. Give him a hug? He'd never met his soulmate before, he didn't know proper protocol.

But all he did was turn around, and keep on running, leaving Steve behind feeling confused and slightly hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be following the Captain America Winter Soldier movie beat for beat, so a lot of the dialogue is changed for plot reasons. Also, there is a slight change in chapter 1. Sam makes a comment about how everyone knows Steve already found his soulmate, and it now says that said soulmate is Bucky Barnes. So Sam thinks Bucky is Steve's soulmate. Just so people know!

_Steve_

By the time Steve finally remembered that he still had legs and tried to catch up wit his soulmate, the man was gone. He'd probably gone home while Steve had just stood there, staring like an idiot. Steve sighed and went home, even though he hadn't run nearly as much as he'd planned to.

His soul mark was on the middle of his back, which made it pretty hard to expose accidentally. He'd spent most of his youth twisting and turning in mirrors to get a good look at it, to memorise the words, the way the letters twisted and turned. But maybe this jogger hadn't done the same. It gets tiring, to constantly have to twist around and see your soul mark. Maybe he hadn't been looking at it for a while, and didn't make the connection when Steve said it?

The only solution that Steve could figure out was to try again. And again. And again. In the hopes that his soulmate would at some point realise the meaning of what he was saying. It almost became a game. He'd go out early every morning, earlier than usual to make sure that he didn't miss the man, and run laps around him.

"On your left," he'd say, over and over. Most of the time, the man would throw something back, but he never stopped or acknowledged what it meant. Steve tried to change his tone, even tried an accent at some point, which earned him a weak laugh.

 _"On_ your left."

"On  _your_ left."

"Onyourleft."

"On yo-"

"Don't say it!" his soulmate snapped after one of the many times. "I get it, you're on my left."

 _You don't get it!_ Steve wanted to scream, frustrated, as he ran past him again.

Then a horrible thought occurred to him. What if he did get it? What if he'd realised it right away, and just didn't care? Maybe he was already in a relationship with someone else. It'd been common, in the past, for same sex soulmates to marry people of the opposite sex for various reasons. Maybe to have children, or because they lived in a neighbourhood that disapproved, or maybe because they just didn't see their soulmate that way. It was even more common these days, Steve had heard. Even opposite-sex couples often chose not to be with their soulmates, and it was legal to divorce your soulmate too now.

But he'd thought that was something rare. Usually only happened if your soulmate was an abusive asshole, or if you were driven apart by some great tragedy. And most people were supposed to be fine with same-sex couples now.

Steve couldn't figure out why his soulmate didn't want to be with him. The smartest thing, of course, would be to actually ask him. See if he was already married, or straight. Maybe it was all just a big mistake; Steve might've read it wrong. Yet, he couldn't help the feeling deep in his gut telling him that this was the right man. He'd found the person he'd been searching for all this time.

He decided to try one more time. It couldn't exactly hurt.

His soulmate wasn't running anymore, though. Steve searched around, and found him leaning against a tree trunk, panting heavily.

"You need help?" Steve said, trying to sound teasing as he repeated the words he'd heard the first time they spoke.

"I need set of lungs." He squinted in the sunlight, sweat drying around his collar. Steve couldn't phantom why he would be running around in such thick sweaters, especially not considering how his arms looked like in tank tops. "You just ran thirteen miles in like thirty minutes."

"I guess I got a late start."

His soulmate snorted. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Steve laughed. He felt warm, bubbly almost. "What unit are you in?"

"Fifty-eighth pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA." His soulmate reached a hand out, and Steve took it without even having to think about it. "Sam Wilson."

Steve's heart skipped a beat. His soulmate's name was  _Sam Wilson_. He helped Sam to get up on his feet, and resisted the urge to try and wipe off the mud on his legs. It was probably too soon for that. Sam gave him an expectant look, as if waiting for him to say something.

"Oh! I'm Steve Rogers." Then, feeling bold, he decided to just lay it all out there. "I'm yo-"

"I know who you are," Sam interrupted, sounding slightly putt-off. "I kind of figured it out."

"Oh," Steve said again, his voice more subdued this time. He didn't know if he should be thrilled or not. That meant Sam had figured out they were soulmates, which was a good thing, but it also meant he'd been ignoring Steve for a while now despite the knowledge.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel exposed," Sam said, obviously picking up on Steve's confused reaction. "I didn't know if it was supposed to be a secret or not. Although, if it is, you're hardly doing a great job about it."

"Why would it be a secret?"

Sam shrugged. "You never know ."

Well, Steve had obviously missed _something_ about customs between soulmates in the future. He was used to finding your soulmate being celebrated, shouted from the rooftops. When Peggy and Gabe found out they matched, Gabe bought the whole bar a round while Peggy kept telling everyone "This is my soulmate, Gabe," as if they didn't hear it the first hundred times.

Maybe this was a gay thing after all?

"It must've been hard, coming back," Sam commented. Steve almost jolted at the sudden change of subject.

"I...yeah."

He stuck around for a while longer, talking to Sam about what it was like to come back from war to a comfortable life. It was difficult to put his feelings into words, but it felt good to know that Sam got it. He got him. This was why they were matched: they understood each other's experiences. He couldn't help the smile that spread over his lips, despite the subject matter. He was relieved, more than anything. He'd been slightly worried that he'd find his soulmate, and that they'd be turned off by his issues with the war, but Sam didn't seem to mind at all.

Steve showed him his list of things to catch up on, and pointed at where he'd written down Star Wars trilogy. "Maybe we could watch it together?" he suggested shyly. He'd decided that taking baby steps was probably the best way forward. Showing Sam that he had nothing to be afraid of; just because he was from the past didn't mean he had old-fashioned values.

"Of course, man. I'd love to." Sam's smile was brighter than the sun, and Steve was embarrassed about how it made his knees go weak. Sam's eyes went up Steve's body, over his chest and arms, and Steve couldn't help but preen at the attention. It was possible he flexed, just a little bit. Their eyes met, and something almost electric crackled between them. There was no mistaking it. Steve took a step forward, feeling the need to touch Sam, the need to...

That was, of course, the moment Natasha decided to interrupt. The moment between them was broken, and the electricity died down. Steve wanted to shout at Natasha to just drive off and leave them alone, but he knew she wouldn't have interrupted if it wasn't important. With a long sigh, he said goodbye to Sam, promising to call him soon, and got into the car. He followed Sam with his eyes as they drove away.

"Who's that then?" Natasha asked with a dangerous smirk.

 _My soulmate_. The words were at the tip of his tongue, but he didn't dare to say them. He wasn't sure what was going on with Sam, and he didn't want to jinx it going forward. "Just a friend."

Natasha kept pressing him to go on a date, to meet someone new, but all Steve could think of was  _I've met my soulmate, and his name is Sam Wilson._

*

_Sam_

The jogger with the nice ass, aka Captain America if you'd believe it, wouldn't stop teasing him. Who knew Captain America was kind of a dick. He was starting to truly believe the whole 'don't meet your heroes' thing. He still tried to be nice when the guy came up to speak to him. Couldn't exactly hurt.

"Sam Wilson," he introduced himself.

"Oh! I'm Steve Rogers." Then, feeling bold, he decided to just lay it all out there. "I'm-"

Sam was near rolling his eyes. "I know who you are." Apparently Steve Rogers was also a bit full of himself, if he was walking around telling everyone he was Captain America. Then again, who wouldn't?

Hurt passed over Steve's face, and he suddenly looked very vulnerable. Sam took a step back, wondering if he'd crossed a line. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel exposed," he said hesitantly, even though Steve had just been a moment away from announcing it himself. Maybe he'd thought he was keeping the secret better, and didn't like being reminded that people could figure it out.

The vulnerability made Sam more open to keep the conversation going, and he was glad he did. The more they talked, the more Sam thought that perhaps Steve wasn't trying to make fun of him, he was just bad at making jokes and nervous about making new friends. He sure was nice to talk to.

Sam was slightly thrown when Steve asked him to watch a movie together. He was unsure if Steve understood the implication of it. There was no way that Steve was deliberately asking him out on a date. Not that Sam would turn it down. He momentarily let his eyes wander over Steve's body. Anyone who'd say no to that would be insane.

He reached Steve's eyes, and realised that he'd been caught. He felt embarrassed for a split second, until he realised that Steve didn't look offended. The opposite, in fact; he looked pretty into it. Something hot and electric passed between them, and Sam really wished he'd chosen something lighter to wear because he'd never felt this hot under the collar before. Steve took a step closer, and even though Sam barely knew the guy he was pretty sure he wouldn't stop him if he tried to touch him.

Some red-head drove up to them, and broke the tension between them. Sam let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. That'd been weird.

"I'll call you?" Steve said.

"Call me, or come by the VA," Sam responded. "See you."

He didn't actually expect Steve to show up only a few days later and listen to him lead a group therapy session. Sam felt oddly warm about it. He knew Steve was probably dealing with serious issues from the war, and it felt nice knowing he could help somehow. They met up after the session, talking quietly in the hallway.

"I didn't think you'd come," Sam admitted.

"You were really good," Steve said. "I should've come sooner."

"Maybe you should." Sam played around with some papers on the table so he wouldn't have to directly face Steve. He didn't know why it was so hard to meet his eyes all of the sudden. "We've all got the same problems, Steve. Guilt, regret. It can help to have someone to talk to."

"I'm starting to think that too." Steve leaned his shoulder against the wall. "Did you lose someone?"

Sam nodded. He didn't usually talk about Riley, not outside of his own therapy session, but all he had to do was lift his head and meet Steve's eyes and the words came spilling out. He told Steve about his best friend, how he'd lost him, how it made the world seem hopeless. He did manage to stop himself before revealing that he'd once thought Riley was his soulmate. It was the only time it'd gone the other way around; he'd said Riley's words, but Riley had said the wrong words back. That hurt almost as much as all the other times did. But it didn't stop them from becoming great friends. "He was my closest friend, my brother almost," Sam said.

"I know the feeling." Steve pulled his shoulders up, almost as if he was trying to make himself look smaller.

"Bucky Barnes." Sam said it without thinking, and then immediately regretted it. Who the hell brings up a guy's dead soulmate like that? He felt awful. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"No, no it's okay." Steve wouldn't look at him, though. "He is the one I was referring to. I lost him, and everything with the war seemed almost pointless for a while. My friend, Peggy, helped change my mind." He gave a weak and sad smile.

"Well, I left," Sam said, and he didn't have much more to add to that.

Steve nodded, understanding. "Are you happy now, then?"

Sam shrugged and put on a bright smile, trying to lighten the mood a little. "The people giving me orders is down to a total of zero," he joked. Steve's lips twitched into a small smile. "Are you thinking about getting out?"

"No. I don't know what I'd do if I did."

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam suggested, and that earned him a short laugh. "Seriously, you can do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

Steve's eyes were suddenly back on him, burning into his soul. Sam wasn't prepared for the intensity of his stare, and almost took a step back. "Until a few days ago, I had no idea."

Sam's throat had gone dry. The skin over his shoulder blades tingled. "What happened a few days ago?"

Steve moved closer. "You know what happened."

Steve couldn't possibly be referring to them meeting. That wasn't possible. Sam couldn't be _that_ important to him, not after they'd just met. Yet, somehow got what Steve was referring to. He'd felt it too. This soft buzz underneath his skin ever since they first touched. He couldn't explain it, didn't even know if there was a word for it. "You met me, and I rocked your world," he said jokingly. Steve smiled, and oh if that wasn't a sight.

Sam was slowly starting to realise that it was possible Steve was as attractive to Sam as Sam was attracted to him.

"Why don't we go and get something to eat?" Sam suggested. "Work on this whole happiness thing."

"I would love to."

They found a small diner, nothing special really, but it still felt like something big. Sam couldn't explain the feeling in the air between them. He didn't know if he was just imagining it, or if Steve could feel it too, and he was afraid to ask. The conversation flowed easily between them. It was kind of odd. Even though Sam hadn't been around in the 1940's, they still seemed to understand each other through shared life experiences. They kept away from heavy topics for most of dinner, and instead Steve talked about all the things he liked about the future. Sam, meanwhile talked about how he got his job and his family.

Before they knew it, their plates were cleared away and the waiter was looking at them expectantly, waiting for them to ask for the check. Steve offered to pay, and Sam didn't know what that meant. Was this a date to Steve? Or was he just trying to be nice? While Sam was stuck in his thoughts, Steve went on to pay before Sam had the chance to protest.

"You shouldn't have," Sam kept saying, even as they were leaving the diner. "I could..."

"I wanted to," Steve said, again. He looked amused.

"Next time, I'll pay," Sam decided in the end.

A slow smile spread over Steve's lips. "So there's a next time, then?"

It'd gone dark outside, and the road was lit up by buzzing street lamps. Sam stuck his hands into the jacket pockets, trying to act nonchalant. "If you want."

The air had cooled down significantly since the morning, but Sam was for some reason starting to feel uncomfortable in his jacket. He took his hands out of his pocket, and Steve caught his right one. His grip was loose, giving Sam the opportunity to pull away if he wanted to, and his face looked, quite frankly, frightened as hell.

Yep, definitely a date.

Sam still remembered the first time he held a girl's hand on a date. He'd thought he'd die if she pushed him away. Seeing that look on Steve's face almost made him laugh. But, seeing as he'd been in that position and could sympathies, he kept his laughter at bay and tightened the grip on Steve's hand.

Steve's chest moved as he let out a deep breath of relief. "Yeah, I'd love that," he said, staring down at where their hands were interconnecting. "You feel it too, don't you?"

They reached an intersection where Sam had to go right, but he was pretty sure he'd seen Steve go left there in the past and he didn't know where to turn. "Hm?"

"There's something between us."

Sam stopped looking down the road, and caught Steve's eyes. He was smiling, but it was hesitant, wondering. "I guess there is." He'd dated before. Most people did, before they met their soulmates. It was just too much to ask for horny young adults to wait until the universe decided to throw them a bone and set them up with their soulmates. But it'd never felt like _this_. Despite the short time they'd known each other, Sam felt drawn to Steve. And it wasn't just because of his ass, surprisingly enough.

Steve smiled brightly; he looked as if Sam had just told him Christmas was early. Or all his friends were still alive. Steve tugged at his hand, and Sam didn't need much more persuasion to walk closer. They'd stopped just below a street lamp, and it cast and uneven shadow over Steve's face. Over Steve's lips.

Steve bent down slightly and leaned closer. Even in the terrible lightning Sam could count his eyelashes. Steve's entire body radiated heat, and he dumbly thought that he really should've taken off his jacket, before their lips met.

Sam had expected something short and sweet. And certainly, that was how it started. Steve pressed his lips against Sam's carefully, as if he thought too much pressure would hurt him. Their mouths met a few times in chaste whispers of kisses, before Sam slid his tongue over the seam of Steve's lips, asking of entrance.

It was as if he'd pulled a switch in Steve's body. Steve's grabbed him around the neck as he kissed Sam more deeply and soundly than he'd been kissed in recent memory. A tingling warmth spread over Sam's lips, though his body, and he pushed closer to Steve and opened up his mouth, trying to chase the feeling. He pressed his hands against Steve's chest, around his waist, pulling his body even closer. Who thought Captain America would kiss like  _this_?

Eventually they had to break for air, but Steve's grip on his neck kept their faces close together. Sam's entire body was buzzing, and his pants felt too tight.

This should be the part where they said their goodbyes. It was good note to end a date on. Also, if they kept kissing Sam might proposition Steve right here and now.

Steve leaned forward and gave him another, chaste kiss.

"Come home with me," Sam panted, and then almost winced. He should've pulled away while he still had the chance, but it was hard to get his hands to leave Steve's waist. "If you want," he added hastily. Steve let out a low chuckle, which was, quite frankly, a bit insulting. "You don't have to if you don't want." There was no reason to laugh, Sam thought sourly.

As a response Steve kissed the corner of his mouth, then his cheek, his jaw, and ended up pressing his forehead to Sam's temple. "I never thought I'd get this." He pulled back, leaving some air between their bodies. Sam didn't know if he was grateful or not. "I thought I'd missed my chance. I thought it was all over for me. But you've proven me wrong and I'm so happy." He took Sam's hand again. "Let's go."

Sam lead the way, but he couldn't help but feel slightly doubtful after hearing Steve's words. He got it, he truly did. Steve lost his soulmate and probably thought he'd never find someone again. Sam had been around enough people who lost their soulmates and couldn't even begin to entertain the idea of ever dating or loving someone else. There was a whole genre of romantic comedies about soulmates who are left behind getting a second chance at love. It was great that Steve felt he could move on from Bucky, that he'd regained hope in love or whatever.

The thing was, though.... The thing was, Sam hadn't met his soulmate. Which meant there was someone still out there, waiting for him. If Steve was looking to start something serious this would only end in heartbreak. Sam knew a lot of people who got together before they met their soulmates, who fell in love and thought for sure that they'd never break up no matter what. His own sister, Sarah, had spent years declaring that she'd never leave her high school boyfriend, even if her soulmate did show up. But then in college he showed up, and everything changed. Sure, by then she and her highschool sweetheart went to different colleges and their relationship was already crumbling because of the long distance, but Sam could tell that it still hurt them both when they broke things off. He knew she'd felt guilty as hell for loving her soulmate and breaking her promise.

If he'd been in high school, or in his early twenties, he wouldn't have cared too much. He'd lived with a woman who hadn't been his soulmate for a year when he was twenty-two, until their relationship fizzled out the way they usually do. There was nothing wrong with that. But he was in his early thirties, which meant that statistically he'd meet his soulmate pretty soon, and he didn't want to be in a committed relationship when that happened. Not after watching what Sarah went through.

Sam and Steve had been walking in silence, their hands still linked, and they were pretty near Sam's home. If there was ever a time to stop this, or at least make it clear that Sam wasn't looking for anything serious, it was now. He stopped, but Steve didn't notice until there was enough space between them that Steve couldn't keep going without their hands unlinking.

"Steve," Sam said carefully. A group of teenage girls walked past them, throwing Steve appreciative glances. Okay, out on the street might not be the best location for this type of conversation, but he'd started now. He stepped closer and Steve tilted his head, almost as if he was expecting another kiss. Sam's eyes went down to his lips before he could stop them. "I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page." He could still feel the impression of Steve's lips on his. "I don't want you to come over on false pretence. I want..."

"I know what you want," Steve said, sounding amused. "I'm not  _that_ old-fashioned." He leaned closer so he could whisper into Sam's ear. "I know inviting someone over means sex." Hot air puffed over Sam's ear as he spoke, and a shiver went down his spine. He couldn't help but feel relieved; obviously he'd misunderstood, and Steve was probably just looking for something casual just like he was.

"Yep," Sam breathed. "We are definitely doing that."

Steve let out another low chuckle, nosing behind Sam's ear. "What are we waiting for then?"

"Walls," Sam responded regretfully. "There are kids living in this neighbourhood and I don't want them to see the things I'm going to do to you."

Steve's entire body shuddered, and his fingers dug into Sam's sides. "Yeah?"

Sam managed get control of his body long enough to leave the heat of Steve's body, grab his arm, and almost physically drag him the rest of the way. The giggling girls were still there, staring at them with wide eyes, but they could just fuck off for all he cared. He'd never had such difficulty getting through his door before. It was as if his fingers and keys conspired against him. Steve pressed up against his back, literally breathing down his neck.

He finally got the lock to  _click_ open and pulled Steve inside. The door wasn't even close when Steve pushed him up against the wall and kissed him again. He'd obviously been restraining his passion so far. He kissed Sam like his life depended on it. Like it was something he'd been wanting to do for years now. Like he hungered for him.

Steve helped Sam get out of his jacket, throwing it on the floor thoughtlessly, and then shrugged off his own. Sam tugged at Steve's shirt. "Off," he panted between kisses. Steve obliged, and broke the kiss briefly to pull the shirt over his head. The hallways was only half lit, but Sam could still see the contours of his abdominal muscles. He put both palms against Steve's stomach. "Thank you, Jesus." He leaned up for another kiss.

"Erskin," Steve whispered against his lips.

"Hm?"

"The man who made me. His name was Erskin, not Jesus."

Sam put his hand on Steve's chest to stop him from going in for another kiss. Steve was grinning, and it was clear he'd been trying to make Sam laugh. Yep, the man was definitely bad at making jokes. Sam leaned his forehead against Steve's shoulder and laughed. "I doubt this was what he thought you'd do with it," he commented.

"What exactly am I going to do with it, hm?" He kissed Sam's temple, down his cheek and over his neck. Sam shivered, and let his hands slide around Steve's hips, to grab his ass. Steve let out a surprise yelp, making Sam laugh again.

"Wanted to do that for a while," Sam said, squeezing tightly. They kissed again, needy and open-mouthed. They should really be moving towards the bedroom by now, but Sam was feeling pretty comfortable leaning against the wall and feeling Steve's weight against him. He moved his lips from Steve's lips over his heck and shoulder, scraping his teeth over his collarbone. Steve let out a breathy moan and pressed their hips together, letting Sam feel just how hard he was. Sam let out a deep breath through his nose. There was no way the it was as big as it felt against his hip; he had to be imagining it.

He struggled a bit with the button on Steve's pants, and let out a frustrated growl when it wouldn't fucking open. "Let me just..." He leaned around Steve and flicked the light switch. They both took a moment to blink, their eyes adjusting to the sudden light. Steve looked absolutely wrecked. His hair was a mess, his lips swollen, his chest heaved as he pulled in air. If Steve's exposed chest had looked good in the near-dark, it was fucking mouth-watering now. Steve seemed to be having the same thoughts, his wide eyes tracing Sam's chest as if he'd never seen anything so beautiful before. Sam couldn't help but feel flattered. Being appreciated by someone as handsome as Steve felt pretty nice.

A single droplet of sweat went down Steve's chest, and Sam leaned forward and licked it off. Steve shuddered under his lips. Sam kept kissing down his chest. He wanted to taste more, and, more importantly, make Steve moan again. He got Steve's pants open and pushed a hand inside his boxers. Apparently he hadn't been imagining things; it was about as big as it'd felt against his hip.

"Sam," Steve moaned, hips bucking into his hand. He grabbed Sam by the neck and reeled him in for another kiss. "I want-I want..." Sam flicked his wrist, and Steve's words were cut off by a deep moan.

"What do you want?" Sam asked. He pressed his own hips up against Steve's, desperate for friction.

Steve's hand curled over Sam's shoulder, his fingers pressing into the skin on his back. Steve was touching his soul mark, but Sam was pretty sure that he was unaware. This gesture usually meant something else, something Sam was happy to oblige to.

Sam basically tore his own pants open, managed to jump out of them, and then threw them on the floor between them. He felt slightly relieved to get the pressure of his cock, which was fully hard by now. He sunk to his knees on top of his discarded pants - he'd gone down on this floor without anything under before and his knees had not appreciated it, and he'd learnt his lesson.

"Fuck, Sam." Steve sounded like someone had punched the air out of his lungs. Sam looked up, and saw that Steve's pupils had gone so wide they almost completely eclipsed his irises. "Are you sure?"

Sam almost laughed. "I wouldn't be down here if I wasn't." He pulled Steve's pants down, and encouraged him to step out of them. He wrapped his hands around Steve's thighs, letting his thumbs skid just by the line of his boxers. "Are you sure?"

Steve's thighs were already trembling. "Yes, oh god, yes."

Sam nosed up Steve's thigh, and licked him through the fabric. Steve immediately bucked his hips forward, almost hitting Sam right in the nose. He knew this would probably happen, it usually did, and he buried his fingers into Steve's thighs to the point where it was almost painful. "Don't move unless I say you can," Sam said.

"Sorry." Steve actually sounded embarrassed, which was kind of cute.

He licked another few stripes over the fabric, and Steve didn't move, although he did let out a few curses. Satisfied, Sam pulled his boxers down and let his cock spring free. Even though he'd felt the size, he wasn't quite prepared to see it up close. Well, this was going to be fun.

Steve's hands landed on Sam's shoulders, and his fingers caressed his soul mark. Again, Sam was sure it was a coincidence, but it still felt intimate. "You don't have to," Steve said, obviously mistaking his pause for hesitation.

"Trust me." Sam licked his palm and grabbed Steve around the base. "I want to." Some precome had gathered at the tip, and Sam flicked his finger over the head and licked it off. Steve's breath hitched and his grip on Sam's shoulders tightened.

It'd been a while since Sam last did this, so he decided to take things slow. He sucked the tip of Steve's cock into his mouth, earning him a shouted curse. He pulled back just so that he could smile. "You good?"

"Fuck, yes, please keep going."

"Well, since you asked so nicely." He licked around the head a few times and sucked him back in. He bobbed his head back and forth, taking him in deeper each time, testing how much he could take in before his body protested. He tried to remember how to relax his throat properly, and breathe through his nose. He wrapped his hands around the parts his lips didn't reach, jerking Steve off lazily.

Steve was trembling, and Sam could tell he was dying for him to speed up. But he didn't say anything, and he didn't try to move. He just held Sam by the shoulders, letting out low moans every time Sam's mouth mover over his cock.

Sam's lips met his fingers, and he felt Steve's cock hit against the back of his throat. He nearly gagged, but managed to hold back the feeling, pulling off again. He took a few deep breaths, wiping off the trail of spit from his chin, and sucked him back in. He managed to relax his throat enough to almost make it all the way to his pelvis, and that was as far as he'd ever get. He swallowed around the length, and Steve punched the wall above his head with a shout. Sam's cock twitched in response, and used his free hand to press down on his erection.

Sam pulled off again, and Steve let out a low whine. "Don't stop," he practically begged.

"I won't," Sam promised, his voice deep and gravelly. "You can move now. Just make sure to stop if I tap your hip." He took Steve back into his mouth before he could respond.

Steve put both hands back on Sam's shoulders, and shifted his hips forward slowly. His cock slid into Sam's mouth, and they both moaned. Sam stroked his own cock while Steve pushed in and out, starting at a slow pace and then picking up speed when he realised that Sam was okay. He dared to press in a little bit further with every snap of his hips, until he hit the back of Sam's throat again. He seemed to have noticed how much Sam could take, and didn't try to push in too far. He pushed in deep for a while, feeling Sam's throat constrict around him, and then pulled out to make it easier for Sam to breathe. Saliva was running down his chin, but he couldn't be bothered to wipe it off.

Steve's thrusts became more shallow and erratic, and it was clear that he was getting close. Sam tightened his lips around him, sucking him down harder. He let go of his own cock and buried his fingers in Steve's asscheeks, encouraging him. His hips snapped forward and Sam felt his ass tense when he came down Sam's throat with a shout.

*

_Steve_

He was caught in a state of total bliss.

He'd thought that showing up at the meeting without calling first might be a bold move, but it seemed to be the right thing to do. Apparently, Sam had just needed a bit of encouragement from Steve before making a move. Things went fast from that point, but he'd always imagined they would. While people who dated were usually encouraged to take time before hooking up, soulmates were practically expected to have sex not long after they meet. They knew were going to be together forever anyway, so why wait?

To be honest, Steve would've been satisfied with just a simple acknowledgement of attraction from Sam, and a willingness to start something. This was better than he'd hoped it would be when he set out to meet Sam earlier that day. After their cool introduction, he'd never have thought he'd be invited over to his home after just one date.

Not that they'd moved far into his home. With a surprised start, Steve realised they were still in the hallway. He'd have laughed if he still had air in his lungs.

Sam pulled off his cock, and Steve let out a low whine because of the over sensitivity. He watched Sam wiped away a trickle of cum from his chin, and then lick it off the back of his hand. If Steve wasn't already finished, that definitely would've done it.

He grabbed Sam and hauled him to his feet, pulling him in for another desperate kiss. He could taste himself on Sam's tongue, and that shouldn't turn him on the way it did. He curled his fingers over Sam's shoulder, pressing against his soul mark, the thing that showed that they belonged together. Sam pressed his hips up against Steve's, and he realised he was still hard. Steve felt a bit guilty over that. He'd been fucking Sam's throat without much regard over if Sam was getting anything out of it. Well, he was going to fix that now.

He pressed his thigh up between Sam's legs, giving him something to rub against. "How do you want me?" he asked. "Do you want me to suck you too, or...?" Sam cut him off with a loud groan.

"Fuck, that'd be a sight." He kissed Steve again. "I'd have loved for you to fuck me."

"Okay," Steve nodded desperately, his head already filling with images of him entering Sam and... "Let's do that."

Sam laughed. "I'd rather come within the next hour."

"I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Sam paused. "What, are you seventeen?"

"No. I don't think I would've been able to do it so fast when I was seventeen, to be honest." He grabbed Sam's ass with both hands. "Do you want to or not?"

"Do I fucking want to?" Sam muttered. He pushed off the wall, grabbing Steve's arm and yanking him through the hallway. "What kind of fucking question is that? Have you seen your cock. I wanted it inside of me yesterday."

And right there, his cock was already twitching back to life. Sam took him to a small bedroom. Steve grabbed him by the waist and pushed him down on the bed, then crawled up on top of him. He leaned down to kiss him, slowly and sweetly. Sam wrapped his arms around him, and Steve realised he'd been right: feeling his arms was great.

He didn't think he'd ever get tired of kissing Sam. That first kiss under the street lamp had sent sparks through his body, and he hadn't been able to let go ever since. He put his elbows down on either side of Sam's body so he wouldn't crush him with his weight. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. He grinded forward a few times, letting their bodies slide over each other. It didn't do him much; he was still soft. But he loved the way it made Sam let out little moans of pleasure. He snuck a hand between them and took hold of Sam's cock, squeezing lightly.

Sam broke the kiss. "Lube, in the drawer," he panted. "Get it."

Steve leaned over the side of the bed, fumbling through the drawer until he caught the tube. When he got back, he noticed Sam looking at something over his shoulder. He was probably looking at the soul mark. Steve smiled; he knew the feeling of seeing it when they were in such an intimate position. He was about to turn around and give Sam a better look, but Sam grabbed his hair and pulled him down for another kiss.

Steve went down to kneel between his legs. Sam turned around, and took a pillow below his own hips, propping his ass up slightly. Steve had never actually done this before, but he got the mechanics of it. He may or may not have spent a lot of last night online looking things up. He needed to prep Sam properly, or he'd get hurt. It was good he'd already come, so he was able to take his time without lust clogging his mind. Not that he needed to be hard to appreciate Sam's body. He ran a hand over Sam's back, down the curve of his spine, over his ass. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't checked that ass out a few times.

He opened the bottle and squeezed some on his fingers. Sam pulled his legs apart, giving him better access, and Steve pushed a finger inside slowly. Sam let out a deep breath, his whole body tensing. "Should I go on?" he asked, concerned.

"Just wait." Sam leaned his head against the headboard, and his body slowly relaxed. "Okay, now."

Steve worked his finger in and out, and then added another. Sam kept twitching his hips, looking as he was desperate to rub off against the sheets but was worried it'd make him come to soon. The thought made Steve's body fill with heat. He poked around a bit, trying to find that spot that he'd read about, which should make Sam...

"Fuck, Steve!" Sam exclaimed. It seemed he'd fount it. Sam couldn't see him, so he didn't even try to hide his smug smile.

He worked Sam's hole open painfully slowly, and just the sight of his own fingers disappearing into Sam made his cock fill with blood without even a touch. When he was three fingers in he was fully hard again, and Sam seemed to be running out of patience too.

"Come on, Steve," he panted. "Get inside of me." He threw a glance over his shoulder. "Unless it takes you longer than you thought."

As a response, Steve pulled his fingers out and pressed his cock against his crack. He didn't push in right away, just rubbed against him a few times, making Sam curse with frustration.

"What are you waiting for?" he hissed, pushing his ass back. "I want you, come on."

Steve pulled his fingers over Sam's back, and put his hand against the soulmate mark. He took a moment to appreciate it all. The feeling of having Sam close, of hearing that he was  _wanted_ , of being with his soulmate finally after all these years.

 _I'm going to make you so happy,_ he thought for himself.  _Not just tonight, but every day and night from now on._

"Steve, if you don't get in me right now, I swear..."

Steve grabbed hold of his cock, positioned himself against the entrance, and slowly pushed the head inside.

"Oh god, yes," Sam moaned.

Steve resisted the urge to just push all the way inside right away. Sam was so tight around his head, there was no way he could go further without hurting him. He pulled back out, poured some more lube on his cock, and pushed in again, just a little bit further. Sam made a sound like someone had just punched him in the gut.

"Are you okay?" Steve wheezed out, keeping himself still by sheer force of will. "Should I stop."

"No, keep going," Sam panted desperately. "Go in deeper." So Steve did. He pushed forward slowly, breathing through the wonderful feeling Sam's tight walls around his cock.

"So big, fuck," Sam babbled. Steve slid in the last way, his hips meeting Sam's ass, and they both moaned loudly. They took a moment to simply breathe and get used to the feeling.

When Sam made a noise of encouragement, Steve pulled back slowly. He looked down at the point where he entered Sam, the point where they were connected, and put his hand over his soulmate mark again. "You're so beautiful," he breathed. He put the other hand on Sam's hip, changed the angle slightly, and pushed inside again. It took him a few tries, but he finally managed to find the spot that made Sam curse like a sailor, or alternatively pray like a priest.

"Fucking hell, god damn it, yes!" Sam shouted every time Steve hit against his sweet spot. "Right there, Steve."

Steve picked up the pace, but as much as he loved the feeling of sliding in and out of Sam, and the fact that they were as physically connected as humanly possible, he felt oddly cold. He leaned forward so he was blanketing Sam's body, kissing up his spine. Sam twisted his head to the side, and caught his lips in a biting kiss. Steve wrapped his arm around Sam's chest, and pulled back, hauling them both up so they were kneeling. He liked this better; feeling of Sam's body against his, hearing his moans in his ear.

"Okay, okay, like this," Sam panted. He reached behind him and buried his fingers in Steve's ass, encouraging him to scoot forward until they were closer to the headboard. Sam put his hands on the headboard for support to remain on his knees while Steve fucked into him. Steve placed his hands on Sam's, tangling their fingers together tightly. The whole bed rocked forward when Steve did, making it squeak loudly, and forcing the headboard into the wall over and over. Steve really hoped Sam didn't have nosy neighbours. He pulled his lips over Sam's shoulder blades, placing open-mouthed kisses over the soul mark. "Steve, touch me, please."

Steve smiled against his skin. "Well, since you asked so nicely." Sam let out a breathless laugh, which turned into a moan when Steve snapped his hips forward. Steve let go of one of his hands to take hold of Sam's cock. He stroked fast and hard, knowing that Sam was already close. Sam pushed his ass back to meet Steve's thrusts, making Steve see starts every time.

Sam's entire body arched when he came, and he threw his head back in a silent scream. He was absolutely gorgeous. Steve felt his walls tighten around his cock, and he pushed his hips forward one more time before he came inside of Sam, biting into Sam's shoulder to stifle his moan. He remained wrapped around Sam, inside of him, for what felt like forever, just breathing him in.

"I can't remember the last time I came that hard," Sam laughed, leaning his head against the wall.

Steve couldn't help the twinge of jealously. It would be naive to assume that Sam had never had sex before, and it wasn't as if he was a virgin either, but it still felt wrong somehow that another person had gotten to touch Sam before him.

"Come on, out." Sam shoved at him. "I need to lie down. You've turned my muscles into water."

Steve pulled out slowly, but Sam still winced. They collapsed on their sides, still panting.

"Should take a shower," Sam said. "But can't move."

"Hold on, I'll get a towel." Steve's legs weren't working much better than Sam's at the moment, but he managed to stumble towards a door that he assumed was the bathroom, and return with a wet towel. He cleaned Sam up carefully, so carefully in fact that Sam managed to doze off while he was at it. Steve smiled at the sight.

He managed to find his boxers and pulled them back on, before crawling back into bed with Sam again. He wrapped his arms around him, and felt his chest move as he breathed. It didn't matter if Sam had been with someone else before; the important thing was that he was with Steve now, and forever.

*

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as always in my fics, people hook up before talking and it ends in miscommunication and disaster. I need to figure out how to write the whole talking first then sex thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought in the comments!


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